Patrick Walden, the guitarist best known for his work alongside Pete Doherty in the British post-punk band Babyshambles, has died aged 46.
The news was announced through the group’s social media. No cause of death was revealed.
Doherty had formed the band after splitting from the Libertines in the early 2000s, his substance abuse a key driver in his departure. When assembling a new outfit, he confided in Walden as lead guitarist, who could be found with anything from a Gretsch semi-hollow to a Tele or a Jazzmaster draped over his shoulder.
Proving to be more than just Doherty’s foil, Walden co-wrote a host of songs featured on their 2005 debut album, Down in Albion. That included co-writing its big hit, Fuck Forever, a track driven by a chimey, edge-of-breakup guitar tone. It’s one with both charm and attitude in equal measure, something that typified the band’s – and Walde’s – signature sound.
Walden would leave the band in December 2005 in light of substance issues, and an assault case involving his then-girlfriend, although all charges were later dropped. Michael Whitnall took his place for 2007’s Shotter’s Nation.
However, Walden linked up with two ex-bandmates, Drew McConnell and Seb Rochford, for a show in July 2007, and joined the Babyshambles at a gig at Halo in Battersea two years later.
“It is with deep regret and sadness that we share the news of Patrick Walden’s death,” Babyshambles say in an official statement. “We feel very fortunate to have known, loved, and worked with him, and we kindly ask for respect and privacy during these difficult times.”
One commenter on the band's Instagram post, currently the only one visible on its timeline, compared his guitar playing to the Stooges maestro Scott Asheton, calling him “the best guitarist of my generation.”
As per an interview with blogger Olivia Collins for The Musical Acid Test in November 2024, Walden says he was pursuing a degree in jazz composition, citing the genre as his first love.
His first job was working at Camden Jazz Café at 18, rubbing shoulders with some prestigious names, including Herbie Hancock and Ravi Coltrane. But it was in the indie rock world with which he is more commonly associated.
“I realised when I stopped drinking, the hunger for music came back and I wanted to do something new and different with that kind of music,” he had said. “The way I played all the other music was very instinctive, I would just do it, by playing in bands, but this takes training, it’s a lot of hard work, and I think it’s a responsibility as well.”
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